Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-26
TUESDAY. .........J JULY &c, 1887.
Mixed Public Schools.

Mixed Public Schools.
There can he no such thing as mixed
public schools in this country. Ger
tainly they cannot exist in any commu-
nifty, North or South, where a large
proportion of the children are negroes.
In a large school where there arc but
two or three or even half dozen col
ored pupils, the presence of these latter
may in northern community bo tole-
rated but their presence will not be
tolerated anywhere in any school,
high or low, college or university,
where o considerable proportion of
the pupils are negroes. 1t follows,
therefore, that tho public schools of
this country must either be whito or
colorod, not mixed, or else there will
he no public schools at all. In word,
TO attempt to force the southern peo-
pie to accept mixed public schools is to
attempt to abolish all except colored
public schools, or, to phrase it differ
entity, TO destroy all the pub
lie schools. 1t is just as GER
tain as anything in the future
can be that white people will not allow
their children to attend mixed schools.
1t is equally certain that they will not
consent TO pay taxes to keep up negro
schools at the same time that the foolish
negroes are forcing them to pay for
sending their own children to private
schools.
1t is worse than useless to fight
against fate. Expel nature ? 1t has
been a saying from time immemOrial
that this cannot be done. If there are
TO be any public schools in the South,
the two races are to be in different
schools. General MALONE and Mr..
JoHN 5. WISE and all the other white
Republicans in Virginia would no
doubt, if asked, either say what we
have Just said on the subject or else
hold their peace. The white race can
not consent to what it considers its
own degradation.
Rev. j. Benson HAMILTON, of New
York city, lately prepared sermon or
speech in favor Of mixed churches, and
dcnouncing those white preachers and
CONGREGATIONS that had drawn the color
line in the churches. Deprived of an
opportunity to deliver his address at
tie time he had hoped to deliver it, he
continued lis study of the subject un
til lac had convinced himself that he
was wrong. An honest man. no at
once ayowed la, change OF opinion, It
thorough acquaintance with the facts
having led him to the following conc.a-
sions. lie says
"Whet is the unvarying custom os
the Christianity of the North? 1t IS
separation Ivy the color line. In every
community of any size the blacks are
pcIniites on forced to worship alone /;
They have shabby, dinGy chapals for
tbe most part, and live at poor dying
rate. They could he accommodated in
our large, beautiful, and prosperous
churches with ease to US and great
profit to them. Why do We draw the
color line Is it not because the
know ledge is universal that the aboll-
ton of the color line and the intro
duction of the negroes among US, 50 as
to make our schools and churches really
mixed, would destroy any church at
tempting 1t ?"
In word, no minority of whites in
a congregation would allow majority
of negroes to manage even the secular
affairs of the church, much less allow
the negro majority to call negro
preacher.
Isn't that an end of the argument ?
If the negroes cannot DO allowed to
call preacher Of their own race they
can never be put upon the same plane
even in the churches az the white
members.
Why cannot the colored people see
for themselves that they cannot have
mixed schools nor mixed churches?
Why should they encourage an insane
passion for the company Of the whites b?
Why not recognize white men az they
are, and not try to induce them to be-
come something different ? Call it
beathenism. barbarism, what you will,
the fact exists that the Caucasian is
not SO constituted IS to be willing
10 believe that the Negro is his equal.
AT tho same time he has no
objection to allowing the negro to con-
slider himself vastly the superior OF the
white especially if in the enjoy
ment of that belief, SAMBo will stand
upon bis dignity and refuse to attend
schools, colleges, universities, and
churches, having none but white teach
ers, preachers, professors, and pupils.